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Oh So Good—Blind Lemon Pledge—Ofeh records

Once again, San Francisco based Blind Lemon Pledge (James
Byfield) and his two musical compatriots: Peter Grenell, bass
and Juli Moscovitz, drums, have reconvened to create this;
BLPs 10th album. It consists of eleven splendid new
compositions and one cover.

The opener ‘Big Bill’ is an instantly engaging simple mid-paced
foot stomping and slide tale of forbidden, amorous intentions
towards the boss’s daughter. ‘Junkyard Dog’, is also in a similar
desiring vein, complete with effective howling. ‘Oh So Good’,
stays in a romantic mood but, here in a very jolly, ragtime
guitar picked mood. The hero states how well behaved he has been, since his declaration of
love.

‘How Can I Still Love You’, is a slow brush and deep bass led blues with the lament of a man
desperate for affection when the object of his love is full of indifference for him. ‘Hard Heart
Honey Bee’, is, on the other hand, a swinging, upbeat ode to the one he loves.

On ‘Ma Belle Cherie’, an uplifting Creole patois infuses the sweeping brush work and bass on
the warming Cajun two-step. The imploring lament ‘Moon Over Memphis’, delivers a gently
emotional pleading guitar, as it lays the shards of a broken heart onto well trodden ground. On
the easy swinging bass led ‘Go Jump The Willie’, BLP’s seductively melancholy vocals draw you
into the fun!

The slowburning, heart on the floor, ‘Cora Lee’, leads us once again into the world of forlorn
love and its lamenting/rending after effects. The gentle, jaunty rhumba infused ‘Come Back
Little Sheba’ is certainly more hope filled than hopeless.

The affecting. slow, gospel-infused ‘Give My Poor Heart Ease’ is quite simply, an open hearted
plea for relief.

The 1933 ‘House Of The Risin’ Sun’, by Appalachian artists Clarence ‘Tom’ Ashley and Gwen
Foster, is here, given a splendidly sinister atmosphere by use of low key, pounding percussion
and a disturbing slide guitar.

Recommended!

Brian Harman.

Bart Bryant—Backstage II—Horizon Music Group BMB-
011

Baltimore born Bart, nowadays resides in Connecticut and
here, in the New Haven studios with Bart on vocals and guitar,
his musical ensemble includes; Scott Spray, bass, Bobby
Torello, Alex Giosa, Tyger MacNeal and Liviu Pop, drums,
Floyd Domino, piano, with Bill Holloman supplying all kind of
horns.

As Robin Trower’s powerful horn-dominating and blazing ‘Day
Of The Eagle’ opens the album, one enters a steamy, pounding,
sweaty club, while the lyrical guitar on Little Johnny Taylor’s
‘If You Love Me Like You Say’ smoothly lowers the mood. The
invitingly mellow and calming influence of Willie Dixon’s ‘I Can’t Quit You Baby’, is underpinned